The Fresh Breeze Project concerns a multi-core chip architecture that addresses the need for better programming support for parallel computation, including composability of parallel programs. This is accomplished by supporting global virtual memory, employing a novel memory model based on fixed-size chunks, and virtualizing processing resources through fine-grain scheduling of threads of computation using an on-chip scheduler. A cycle-accurate simulaÂtion of the architecture serves for testing and evaluating the architecture in illustrative applications.
Many functions of a conventional operating system relating to memory management, file system support, and process scheduling are replaced by hardware features in the Fresh Breeze architecture. In consequence, Fresh Breeze operating software differs substanÂtially from a conventional operating system. The Fresh Breeze architecture provides special classes of computing objects: futures to support data streams and guards to support transactions. The Fresh Breeze multithread program execution model is supported directly by the Fresh Breeze architecture, so these features are available for writing support softÂware for user authentication, resource management, input/output facilities, and directory and file management. It is planned to make an FPGA implementation of the Fresh Breeze architecture available to interested institutions by means of the RAMP prototyping infrastructure.
Benefits of the project include the possibility of a powerful new computing platform with effective support for the development of robust software for parallel computing, leading to higher programmer productivity and performance. Benefits to the broader community include better computing facilities for goals such as accurate weather forecasting, drug design, and sustainable development.
